GOOD EATS: MARCELINA’S
‘A Food Vacation’ By Rick Allen • Photos By John Jernigan
A new name for an old classic reflects the current ownership and is worth a discovery. Marcelina’s may even have you feeling like you want to move in!
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he Italians have this expression of hospitality: “Mi casa, su casa.” It means literally “my house is your house.” You can’t get more hospitable than that. That’s how I felt visiting Marcelina’s Italian Restaurant on SR 200 not long ago for the first time ever. That I was a guest—no, that I was family. “This is my second home,” says owner Lendas Marcelina Salamanca. “I
OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined
grew up here, I live here, my office is here. Everything I will ever need is here. I value this as my home.” And the door is almost always open. “People come here and spend hours. They can sit here and relax. I like that. I want them to feel at home.” Mi casa, su casa! But here’s the kicker: Marcelina is only 19. “I grew up here,” she says again.
